Yesterday, I celebrated my birthday. It wasn’t a typical celebration because I was sick—really sick. Not only was I feeling miserable but the weather decided to harmonize with my me by bringing me a dark and dreary rainy day. So I sat in the family room in comfy sweats, curled up under a blanket, sipping herbal tea, surrounded by two 80 lb dogs who were sure they were helping me.

Was it an atypical birthday? Yes. Was it unhappy? Not by a longshot! Gratitude is a muscle we need to exercise regularly. We are all grateful for the good stuff, but we need to be grateful for the stuff that doesn’t really look so great. I celebrated 54 years!! I jumped off the proverbial treadmill for a whole day, wrapped in comfy clothes and a blanket, and just relaxed. And the rainy day helped out because I didn’t feel like I was missing out on a beautiful day.

Today, take one of the “not so good” things in your life and see if you can flip it. Can you find exactly where you are grateful? Right now I know my car has NO gas in it, but guess what? I have a car. Do I have a hassle or a blessing? Daily gratitude changes the brain & the benefits are extraordinary! Don’t dismiss it.

With Gratitude,
Beth
Two great articles, one from Ideapod and the other from The Greater Good Science Center at  UC-Berkeley
https://ideapod.com/neuroscience-reveals-gratitude-literal…/
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/…/how_gratitude_changes_yo…